Back strap shovel



Patented June 2, 1931 UNITED STATES PTET OFFICE LEWIS E. -TEBS'JIER, OF WYOMING, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE WYOMING SHOVEL WORKS, F WYOMING, PENNSYLVANIA, A GORPORAT'ION OF PENNSYL- VANIA BACK STB-AP SHOVEL Application led May 16, 1925. Serial No. 30,844.

This invention relates to improvements in shovels and is more particularly directed to improvements in so-ca-lled back strap shovels.

Shovels of this class usually include a blade portion, a back strap portion and a front strap portion. These strap portions are fastened to the blade by rivets and are then spread to receive the shank of the shovel handle. 1n the use of the shovel particularly when prying forces are exerted upon the handle it is found that the strain is localized in such a way that the straps become bent and in time crystallization ot the metal causes one or the other of the strap portions to break. The shovel is then useless.

According to the present invent-ion I provide a reeniorcement of novel form and shape which is inserted in position within the socket formed by the front and back straps. This reenforceinent entends beyond the top of the blade portion o the shovel and along inside the front strap. The reenforcement is preferably securely fastened to the blade and strap portions of the shovel and also preferably to the shank or wooden handle and is adapted to distribute the forces which are received from the'handle in such a. way that localized stresses are avoided.

The drawings show what l consider to be a preferred embodiment of the invention.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 shows an elevational view of a shovel embodying my improvements.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 with the handle removed and with the reenforcement piece slipped into position.

Fig. 3 is a similar section to that shown in Fig. 2 with the handle shank in position and with the reenforcement riveted in place.

Fig. 4 is a. detail sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the reenforcement element.

In more detail in the drawings, designates the blade portion of the shovel. The back strap 11 is secured to this blade in the usual way by rivets 12 and the front strap 13 is also Secured on the opposite side of the blade by means of rivets 14, 15 and 16.

Disposed withinthe socket formed by the back and front straps and the blade is a reenforcing element 17. This reenforcing element is of curved contour and may be said to have a shoe horn configuration. It is so ze disposed relatively to the blade 10 as to eX- tend downwardly below the top of the blade and to extend upwardly above the top of the blade in the manner indicated in Fig. 3.

The reenforcing element 17 is provided with through the openings 21 in the front and back strap portions of the shovel, these openings being indicated in Figs.l 1 and 2. The lowermost of the two rivets pass through suitable openings 22 in the reenforcing element 17.

It will be seen that the reenforcing element 17 provides a smooth bearing surface for the wooden shank 19 and obviates the localizing of the stresses upon the front strap 13 at a point adjacent the upper edge of the blade 10. Hereto'lfore in back strap shovels the stresswas localized upon the front strap at this point and tended to break it when the shovel was in use. The reenforcing element thus bridges over the top edge of the bla-de portion and provides a smooth bearing surface for the inserted wooden shank 19. In this way the formation of a sharp notch in the Wooden shank is obviated. These sharp notches were previously formed in the inserted shanks in former back strap shovels not utilizing my novel reenforcement when the shank was'driven ho-me to the maximum depth in its socket. The sharp upper edge or the blade in previous constructions cut into the shank and thus Vformed a notch therein. This former cutting and notching of the wooden shank not only weakened the shank at the notched portion but also hindered the shank from being driven entirely home in its f` socket. The interiorly smoothed shoe horn shaped reen-forcing element obviates all of these dificulties and secures a much stronger construction when the shovel assembly is complete.

1. A shovel comprising a blade portion, a front and back strap each separate from th blade but each secured thereto and receiving therebetween an inserted woo-den shank and aI curved reinforcing element fitted within said front strap portion and adjacent the wooden shank and extending downwardly and bridging the top of the blade portion to prevent contact by said Wooden shank portion to bridge the shoulder formed by the blade at the point where the front strap overlaps the top of the blade.

2. A shovel assembly comprising a blade portion, afront strap and a back strap each separate from and secured to said blade portion, a shank embraced by and secured to said back and front strap portions, and a reinforcing element of shoe horn configura tion and which is curved both longitudinally and transversely and fitted within the front strap portion and extending into cooperation with the blade po-rtion of the shovel where the blade underlies the front strap tol reenforce the shovel assembly at the upper edge of the blade portion where the separate front strap extends over the blade, said reenforcingl element being riveted to the front and blade portions and being also riveted tothe front strap portion by rivets which secure the shank to the front and back strap portions.

3. A shovel comprising a blade portion having front and back straps secured thereto and a wooden shank received thereby and therebetween said front strap 'being separate from and overlapping the blade and said blade forming a shoulder at the point where the front strap overlaps the top of the blade and a reinforcing element of thin shoe horn configuration fitted between the front strapl and blade portion and the wooden shank to distribute the strain away from the aforesaid shoulder at the upper edge of the blade and to provide a smooth abutting surface which will prevent notching of the shank by the edge of the blade portion.

l. A shovel comprising a blade portion having front and back straps secured thereto and a wooden shank received thereby and therebetween, said front strap being separate from and overlapping the blade and said blade forming a shoulder at the point where the front strap overlaps the -top of the blade, a reinforcing element of thin shoe horn configuration fitted between the front strap and blade portion and the wooden shank to dis` tribute the strain away from the aforesaid shoulder at the upper edge of the blade and to provide a smooth abutting surface which will prevent notching of the shank by the edge of the blade portion, means for attaching the reinforcing element to the blade and to the sepa-rate front strap, and supplemental fastening inea-ns to cooperate to secure the separate front strap, the reinforcing element, the wooden shank and the back strap together, said supplemental fastening means being remote from and out of cooperation with the blade.

5. A shovel assembly including theV usual bla-de portion, the usual separate back strap portion, the usual separate front strap portion, and with a plurality of rivets uniting the back strap and blade and also with rivet fastening means for securing the front strap and blade together and including in combination therewith, a wooden shank inserted between the front and back straps and extend ing into socket below the top of the blade which is forme-d by the back strap and bla-de,

` a reinforcing element of shoe horn configura.-

tion cooperating at one side with the inserted wooden shank and at the other abutting for a portion of its length the inside of the front strap and also upon said side abutting the inside of the blade adjacent the top thereof to thereby bridge the shoulder. formed by the blade where the front extends from its overlapping with the blade beyond the blade, and

signature.

' LEWIS E. WEBSTER. 

